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SECRETARY CAMERON. – The Philadelphia Inquirer says that the Secretary of War is the weak spot in the Lincoln administration, possessing neither the President’s nor the people’s confidence, and a fit person to be made responsible for the late military disasters. It adds, -
Between two stools, our three months’ volunteers seem quite likely to come to the ground. They write to the Secretary of War to say that they are barefooted, and more or less naked, that they would like to be able to leave their tents in daylight without infringing the laws of decency, &c. Mr. Cameron replied that the United States cannot supply the three months’ volunteers with clothing and refers them to Gov. Curtin. That functionary makes answer – Fellow-citizens, have I not already given you a complete outfit of shoddy and pine shaving shoes? If your shoes did not last three days, reflect that my proteges have made a handsome thing of it. If your trowsers have dropped to rags at once, consider that my contractors could not make cent per cent and furnish you with a respectable article. If your clothes are not well lined, their pockets are. If you are not well shod, you are well shodded – so be satisfied.
We are told by a friend, who has a relative amongst the troops at Federal Hill, that his clothes were in rags three days after being put on – that he had eaten no meat, none fit to eat having been served out, &c., &c. If Mr. Cameron refers to Gov. Curtin respecting clothes, Gov. Curtin may refer back to Mr. Cameron respecting such abominable rations – Arcades ambo par nobile fratrum.
